This document provides a cultural presentation on Germany covering several topics in 3 sentences or less: 1) Germany basics - It is a parliamentary democracy located in central Europe with 82 million inhabitants speaking German across 16 federal states. 2) Government and politics - Germany is a federal republic with legislation passed by the lower and upper houses and currently led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. 3) Cities and places of interest - Major cities discussed include Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne, along with famous landmarks like Neuschwanstein Castle.

1. A Cultural Presentation on Germany by
Markus Schneider & Fabian Huttner

2. Contents
1. Germany – the basics
2. Government & Politics
3. Geography
4. Nature and Landscapes
5. Cities & and their places of interest
6. Neuschwanstein - a very famous castle
7. The work place in Germany
8. Economy and Society
10. Clichés or Stereotypes about Germans
12.Typical German Food
13. Who says German is difficult?

3. Germany – the basics
Official Name: Federal Republic of Germany
Official Language: German
Political System: Parliarmentary Democracy
Capital: Berlin
Area: 357.021 km²
82 millon inhabitants – 230 per km²
Currency: EUR
Composed of 16 Federal States
Has borders with 9 countries:
(Polonia, Eslovaquia, Austria, Suiza, Francia, Liechtenstein,
Bélgica, Países Bajos, Dinamarca)
Climate: continental

4. Government & Politics
• Germany is a federal republic that has 16 federal states
• Legislation: Bundestag (lower house - voted every 4 years)
by the folk), Bundesrat (upper house - 69 representatives of
16 states)
• Current: Great Coalition between FDP (Philip Rössler (Vice-
Chancellor) and CDU (Angela Merkel)
• Head of state:
State president Joachim Gauck
• Head of Government:
Chancellor Angela Merkel

5. Geography of Germany –
The 16 Federal States and their capitals

6. Nature and Landscapes
Black Forrest Alps
Rhine Valley Danube

7. Important Cities & and their places of
interest
• Berlin
• Hamburg
• Munich
• Cologne
• Dresden

8. Berlin

9. Hamburg

10. Munich

11. The “Oktoberfest”´in Munich
The Biggest festival in the world with 6 million visitors
In average the visitors drink about 5 million liters of
beer each year.

12. Cologne

13. Dresden

14. Neuschwanstein
Neuschwanstein, one
of the most popular
of all the palaces and
castles in Europe.
Every year 1.3 million
people visit
It was „the castle of the
fairy-tale king“ Ludwig II
in Bavaria.

15. Economy and Society
• Europe’s largest economy and fourth largest in the world
• The national currency is the euro
• and the main exports are:
Automobiles, Chemicals, Electronics, Foodstuffs, Machinery and
Equipment, metals, textiles
• 2009: second largest export (export champion until 2009) and third largest
import nation
• Mainly contentrated on secondary (industry) and tertiary sector (services)
• In the use of solar energy internationally groundbraking
• Long mining tradition: Significant natural resources (Coal, precious salts
and building materials)

16. The work place in Germany
• In Germany the work day is fairly short with
the hours being close to 7:00, or 8;00 in the
morning to 3:00 in the afternoon, 4:00 is
often considered pushing the feasible limit.
• The common myth about German working is
it’s tough to get fired from ones Job, but
that’s not the truth. An employee can receive
a Kündigung as long as there is a good
reason for it like stealing or threatening a co-
worker. Though it has to go through the
companies council who must approve the
firing if the worker.
• German Business is less about being quick to
decide what’s next and more about the planning
of the current action. It is pretty standard for
German companies to spend more of the
decision making on a thorough look at all the
options. This has earned Germans a reputation
of having a fetish for business charts, and paper
work.

17. Culture
Period of 1871: Land of poets and thinkers
Philosophers: Immanuel Kant, M.Luther,
F.Nietzsche, Karl Marx
Authors: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe,
Friedrich Schiller and the brothers Grimm
Classical music composers: Johann Sebastian Bach,
Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert
Art and music:
• One of the most important monuments is the Brandenburg Gate.
The main German composer Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn in 1970 and died in 1827, was a great
composer of Classicism and Romanticism. His deafness mark his life and character bitter. His major works are: the
Third Symphony (the heroic), the eighth symphony, the opera Fidelio and Masses.

18. Clichés or Stereotypes about Germans
Clichés:
1. They don’t like smiling a lot.
2. They are very neat, tidy and they like recycling
3. They are very hard-working and very skillful people.
4. Germans are well organized, accurate and easy-pedantic.
Stereotypes:
The Germans are reliable, punctual, hard working and efficient,
have no humor, boring, drink beer, eat sausages, well educated
& very controlled, evironmentally aware, want that everything
works, and we love our cars!

19. German Cuisine

20. German Cuisine
• Germany is partycularly known for its hearty and heavy
meals
• Northern Germany: A lot of potatoes in diverse forms of
preparation
• In the south: Dumplings, Obatzda, Spätzle and Pasta
• Local specifies e.g. In Bavaria: The white sausages with
mustard and pretzels or pork roast
• Black bread
• Regionally very different beer

21. Who says German is difficult?
English / Spanish German
Hello ! / Hi! Hallo!
Hello, how are you? Guten Tag! Wie geht’s dir?
I’m fine, thank you. And how are Danke, mir geht’s gut! Und wie geht’s dir?
you?
Please.. Bitte..!
Thank you! Danke!
Enjoy your meal! Guten Appetit!
Thank you for the invitation! Vielen Dank für die Einladung
Goodbye ! / Bye! Auf Wiedersehen! / Tschüss!

22. Thank you for your
attention!
Gracias a todos por su
atención!